


Rook

by workerBee



Series: Chess Game [8]
Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-07
Updated: 2016-02-07
Packaged: 2018-05-18 17:38:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,076
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5937082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/workerBee/pseuds/workerBee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Giving him something to do and appreciated comfort at night isn't the only good the animal is doing him, either. Since the rumor got out - from Warren, without doubt - that he's taken in a dirty old cat with only one eye and three legs, people have seemed to get a bit nicer. He's seen Zachary petting Dash in the hallway; when their eyes met, the quarterback didn't glare at him as he usually did, but only retreated into his room with something like an ashamed look on his face. It's been a long time since people have not gone out of their way to give him dirty looks and it feels kind of good.</p>
<p>It's not all that happens. Three days after he got Dash, Hayden approaches him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rook

**Author's Note:**

> No actual Warren/Nathan here! Only mentioned. This chapter is just a very short part about Hayden.

Nathan's new pet is taking up a whole lot of his time. It's not just feeding Dash or cleaning up after him that's time-consuming - if it was just that, it wouldn't matter much - but it turns out the beast is ridiculously playful. In the few days after Nathan acquired him, he's been late to class several times because he got caught up play-fighting with the cat and forgot to get out in time. Whenever he's not in his room, he leaves the window open, so Dash can climb out and wander around. He was worried at first he might get lost, but it seems he's already well at home and knows his way back by instinct.

Giving him something to do and appreciated comfort at night isn't the only good the animal is doing him, either. Since the rumor got out - from Warren, without doubt - that he's taken in a dirty old cat with only one eye and three legs, people have seemed to get a bit nicer. He's seen Zachary petting Dash in the hallway; when their eyes met, the quarterback didn't glare at him as he usually did, but only retreated into his room with something like an ashamed look on his face. It's been a long time since people have not gone out of their way to give him dirty looks and it feels kind of good.

It's not all that happens. Three days after he got Dash, Hayden approaches him.

They're both leaving their rooms at the same time - it's happened several times in the past few weeks and it's always been awkward trying to ignore one another when they're going in the same direction - but this time, Hayden walks up to him and doesn't avoid his eye.

"Heard you got a cat", he says.

Nathan's keys make a jingling sound as he flips them in his hand. He isn't sure he's prepared for this.

"Yeah, three days ago."

Hayden nods, hesitating just long enough to let him hope the awkward exchange is over, and then:

"Can I see him?"

It's Nathan's time to hesitate. Should he let Hayden into his room? Nobody but Warren has been in there since he got back and it feels like he shouldn't be letting anyone else in. Still, he can't say no, so he pushes the door open with an awkward shrug.

Dash approaches curiously as Hayden steps inside.

"What's his name?"

"Dash."

Hayden looks skeptical. "Can he even run?"

It's weirdly like Warren and it catches Nathan off guard for a moment before he nods.

"Yeah. Runs and jumps and all. He's real fast." Especially when Nathan is trying to catch him to brush his ratty fur.

"Ain't he skinny?", Hayden asks, and Nathan feels somewhat annoyed because, he might be skinny but he'll get better, and there's nothing wrong with him, so can't Hayden stop questioning his appearance?

"He's a rescue cat. He'll get fatter here."

Hayden glances at the full bowl of food before looking back to Dash.

"I think he looks great", he eventually says, and Nathan suddenly feels happy. Yeah, Dash does look great, after all. Rough around the edges, sure, but still a handsome cat.

Then Hayden speaks again.

"What's going on?", he asks.

Nathan finds himself confused. What's going on where? What's going on between them? In Nathan's life? In the world? What does that mean?

"I don't know what you're talking about", he says honestly.

"You've been sleeping in Warren's room", Hayden continues, and oh god, is it about _that_. Does Hayden know? Is he grossed out?

"I have", he answers cautiously.

"I heard you cry in there", Hayden goes on, just as careful. They evaluate one another with a glance like this is the premise to some animal fight and they're trying to tell who's the apex predator. Nathan doesn't think it's him.

"You have?", he asks rethorically.

Hayden takes a step forward. Nathan takes a step back.

"Is he hurting you?", Hayden asks, and it cuts short all of his thought process. He thought this was about him hanging out with nerds, or maybe about him being into guys, or probably about him having sex with Warren; not Hayden being worried. And then he realizes he's stupid, because when has Hayden ever judged him? When has Hayden ever been anything but concerned and well-meaning? He was probably the sweetest friend Nathan's ever had.

"Oh, god, no", he sighs. "No, of course not." And, seeing a look of confusion on Hayden's face: "He's helping me with nightmares. Sometimes they get pretty bad."

There's comprehension in the taller man's expression now, probably because he can remember the nights they spent in the same room. Times Nathan looked very close to tears but tried to hold it in and times there were actual tears.

"Thank God", Hayden says dumbly as he stares dumbfounded.

"You couldn't possibly believe Graham would hurt anyone", Nathan goes.

"I dunno. Kid's got a dark side."

Nathan thinks to that time Warren beat up Luke in the parking lot. He thinks to the way Warren sometimes laughs out loud at death scenes in horror movies, how he makes those dark jokes that don't make him laugh at all, how that time in the drive-in he'd clearly been planning to take him just so they could fuck in the backseat. Yeah, he thinks he can see what Hayden means.

"He's a good guy", he still says, because it's true. "Trust me."

Hayden nods awkwardly, and then, hesitantly, like he's trying to pet a wild animal, he reaches and sets a hand on Nathan's shoulder.

"I'm glad he's helping you." In his tone, and in his face, and in the cautious squeeze of his fingers, Nathan can feel the words "I'm sorry I didn't help". He nods back in acknowledgment.

"I'm glad you don't hate me", he says, careful with his words, just a tad too quiet and uncertain because he's not sure, he's not sure the guy _doesn't_ hate him.

This is, clearly, too much for Hayden, as one second he's standing there awkwardly, and the next he's got his arms wrapped around Nathan's shoulders and he's hugging him so tight it's pretty hard to breathe. With his face pressed in the crook of Hayden's neck, Nathan finds himself oddly at home, with the familiar smell that comes from his skin and hair that he remembers breathing in when they'd hugged before.

He hugs back.


End file.
